Samy Rio: Bambou

Winner of the Grand Prix of the Jury at Design Parade 10, French designer Samy Rio presents two series of prototypes that use bamboo as a tubular alternative.

Samy Rio, awarded with the Grand Prix of the Jury at Design Parade 10 treats bamboo as a tubular alternative to extruded plastics or machined metals.

Furthermore, it is a readily available resource that is both renewable and recyclable. He redirects it away from a common artisanal aesthetic and instead re-employs it in the conception of electric devices, presenting two series of prototypes intended for semi-industrial production: hairdryers and speakers.

Samy Rio, Sèche Ceveux. Photo © Samy Rio — **Top**: Samy Rio, Bambou. Photo Lothaire Hucki © Villa Noailles, 2015. **Above**: Samy Rio, Speakers. Photo © Samy Rio

First he designed an industrial machine from existing tools: a CNC milling machine mounted upon an industrial lathe, in order to facilitate the precise transformation of the material.

The irregularities of the outside shape are eliminated through a calibration. The already smooth interior receives the electrical and electronic components, attached to elastomer supports which adopt the form of the tube and create a waterproof seal.

The design of each object is directly linked to the tubular structure. The designer previously undertook research through cut-outs which allow him to assemble or articulate the different sections. From this collection of shapes, the designer demonstrates his method’s potential for assembly via two hairdryers. One with a fixed handle, the other with a foldable handle which activates the device when the handle is unfolded.

The speakers demonstrate other features: the control icons are engraved directly onto the outside of the bamboo and through a capacitive switch attached inside the tube hence function like a touch screen made from bamboo.